Being bombarded by images of wars and disasters can eventually make us numb to the devastation. Last year, pictures of Syria and its refugees flooded our media devices. One disaster is replaced by the next in the news, so it is easy to forget. However, these realities persist and the problem does not disappear. With your help, Convoy of Hope Europe supports local partners in Jordan that are still helping refugees from Syria. Would you consider to make a donation of $50 to provide a food parcel to a family that still remains homeless? With your help, our Jordanian partners are working to give help and hope to this suffering region. The numbers are overwhelming. There are currently over 9 million refugees from Syria, 6.5 million of which are displaced within Syria. Over 1.3 million Syrians fled to Jordan. More than 80,000 of these arrived in the enormous Za’atari refugee camp near Amman, Jordan. Most of them are women and children, because a lot of their men have already died in the war. Many have come face-to-face with death itself to make it this far. Often their family members, a husband or even a child, were killed right before their eyes. Making it out of Syria alive seemed like their biggest challenge, only for them to realize that simply living on the other side would be a challenge of its own. GIVE HOPE TODAY The Za’atari camp is the refugee landing point in Jordan. Za’atari is now considered the fourth largest city in Jordan based solely on this new population, and is the second biggest refugee camp in the world. With no money, belongings, or resources, these Syrians have few options. It is also illegal for refugees to obtain work and even if they could, destination countries like Jordan cannot financially accommodate this onslaught. When families finally manage to move on from the camp, they typically end up living with too many people crowded into small, yet expensive apartments. “We feel human again.” New Life Assembly of God church in Amman, Jordan, with Pastor Dikran Salbashian, tries to help as much as possible. Some refugees told a local radio station: “We have asked many organizations for help, but this church not only helped us with food, they treated us as fellow human beings. They gave us hope. There are still people who care about us and love us.” When New Life members gather refugees into their church, they not only receive food parcels, but they are met with kindness and hope. Often volunteers from New Life visit refugees in their homes; these small, expensive apartments shared by many. Volunteers come to them, not out of obligation, but out of compassion and a desire to encourage their new neighbors. “We cannot solve all problems, but we can do something.” “First we thought that the refugee problem would only last a couple of months, but now it has been more than three and a half years”, says Dikran Salbashian. “These people have lost all hope of returning to their own houses. We cannot solve all problems, but we can do something. We cannot help everybody, but we were able to support 150 families each week. During the winter, they not only need food, but we also need warm clothes, blankets, mattresses, and sometimes little heating stoves. We have been asked to help with powdered milk or diapers, but that is too expensive. Our resources are limited.” Church volunteers want to continue to help, but cannot do it alone. They will need your help. A food parcel that will help a family for around two-three weeks costs just $50. Your gift of $50 or more will give hope to a desperate mother, trying to feed her family. We would like to continue supporting the efforts of those helping in Jordan during these crucial times. But we can only do it with your help. Please consider making a donation to provide for families like yours who are in desperate need right now. Whether or not we see it, the effects of this war continue long past anyone’s expectations. As hope dwindles in the hearts of those suffering loss of family, homes, and security, we want to shed the light of hope with the promise of restoration. Thank you for partnering with us to make this possible.

From September 1st - 7th, 2014, a team from Lifehouse Church, Hagerstown, Maryland, USA joined us once again in Shkoder, Albania. Lifehouse has been investing in the community of Shkoder the last few years and this time assisted with distributing two hundred 25lb bags of clothing in Rrasek and Mes, two villages in the Postriba area. Together with Albanian doctors and medical students, we also served one hundred people with free medical checkups in two Roma settlements. At the end of the week, our team participated in the "One Day for our City" community event in the center of Shkoder. Open to the public, this free event welcomed 2,500 guests with live entertainment, games, bouncy castles, free food, literature, and a medical tent where hundreds received free checkups. "The city was different today,” said Dennis, one of our volunteers. “There was something for everyone and it was completely free! You don't see that in Shkoder.” We hope to see the positive differences continue to grow in Shkoder thanks to the investment of Lifehouse Church and the many others who have worked to see change in this community. To donate to this project, click here.

From August 6-12, 2014, a team from Cornerstone Church of Bowie, Maryland, USA, was hosted by Easterhouse Community Church in our adopted community of Easterhouse, Scotland. Cornerstone Church recently completed an Adopt-A-Community project with Convoy of Hope Europe in the town of Glinjeni, Moldova. After spending three years investing in this project, they continued their support of our work by sending a team of youth and young adults to help in the preparations for the annual Arise Easterhouse Gala near Glasgow, Scotland. In the week leading up to the gala, with members of Cornerstone, we spent the week painting the building facility of Easterhouse Community Church (ECC). This building also houses Job Club, which is a program launched by ECC to provide assistance to the long-term unemployed. We also interacted in the community, handed out food and treats, and helped with promotion of the upcoming event. On Saturday, August 9, Arise Easterhouse, hosted by ECC, took place outside of Shandwick Shopping Centre. Arise is a family festival open to the public that takes place each summer to bring life to and encourage unity in the community of Easterhouse. With free food, bouncy castles, games, and live entertainment, it is a treat for all ages. This year, we received and served over 2,300 guests of honor. Thank you to Cornerstone Church for your generosity in serving this project. And thank you to Easterhouse Community Church for your continual investment in your community and your desire to show compassion and care to those in need around you. To donate to this project, click here.

From July 11th- 18th, 2014, Bethany Church of Wyckoff, New Jersey, and Bethlehem Assembly of God of Valley Stream, New York teamed up for a week of service in the adopted community of Dicanesti, Romania. Dicanesti has been sponsored through the Adopt-a-Community program by Bethany Church in partnership with Calvary Lighthouse of Lakewood, New Jersey. This was our fourth and final joint trip. Throughout the week, the team engaged in several days of children’s programs that included songs, dancing, stories, face painting, balloons, puppets, and other games. We also cleaned around the local community center and rebarred iron pillars on the roof. While this was going on, other team members were helping with the installation of water pipes that now bring fresh clean water from the town to the Roma settlement, some 600 meters (656 yards) away. The team played an integral part in making this happen as they dug trenches and installed pipeline. This is the first time that this community has had running water. Thanks to the support of this project, we will also be able to bring electricity to many homes in the village later in the year. Thank you to Bethany Church, Bethlehem Assembly, and Calvary Lighthouse for your support and the hard work invested into this project. The compassion and care shown for the people of Dicanesti over the past few years is immeasurable and will have lasting effects for years to come. Stories from previous trips can be found here, here, and here. To donate to this project, click here.